Mythras

Mythras is the new name for an older game, but while the name might have changed, the system remains the same, but presented in an updated format with new interior artwork and layout design, along with some new content (Special Effects, small tweaks to the rules, and Spirit Combat Effects). In fact, we've managed to pack more into a smaller space, and reduced the price accordingly.

For those new to the game, Mythras is a percentile system. In Mythras your characters are defined by their culture, career, community, background, comrades, skills, magic and cults. Progression is through skill advancement – not levels or similarly abstract concepts. As your characters adventure and quest, their capabilities improve and their relationships deepen and strengthen. Players and Games Masters have complete flexibility over what can be achieved, and the way characters develop is entirely dependent on choices players make, depending on their characters’ aspirations and motivations.

Games Masters receive a huge amount of support through the Mythras rules. All the concepts and game mechanics are explained clearly with options and considerations explored and presented for ease of use. You need only this rulebook for many years of exciting and imaginative play.

What’s in this book?

Mythras contains everything needed for play:

Character Creation – building your character through the familiar characteristics, through developing culture and community relationships, choosing a career, and gaining basic equipment according to social class.

Skills – What they do, how they work, and how to handle many different circumstances (degrees of difficulty, critical and fumbled rolls, opposed skills, group skills, and so on).

Economics and Equipment – Arms and armour, tools, clothing, accommodation... everything your character needs as he or she begins on their life of adventure.

Combat – Mythras's combat system is unique, dynamic and geared towards adventurous realism. Gaining success over an opponent generates Special Effects that can rapidly turn the course of a fight. Copious advice is presented on balancing combat skills and styles, through to handling rabble and underlings.

Magic – No less than five very different forms of magic are presented and explored, with complete lists of spells and effects. How magic is defined and used in different fantasy settings and campaign worlds is examined in detail.

Cults and Brotherhoods – Religious, magical and secular organisations, as well as other kinds of societies are detailed the Cults and Brotherhoods rules. Cults are an important part of Mythras, and they are covered in significant detail along with templates for many different kinds of cult, order, school and so on for Games Masters and Players to build upon for their own campaigns.

Creatures - Over 50 creatures are fully detailed, including several non-human player character races. This chapter also offers complete guidance on how to use creatures effectively in Mythras games, and notes on how to design your own.

Games Mastery – Copious notes, thoughts and guidance on how to Games Master Mythras games. Areas for consideration are summarised, options explored, and different ways of using the rules offered. An invaluable chapter for new and old RuneQuest Games Masters alike…

Anathaym’s Saga – Numerous examples of play and how the rules are used are provided through Anathaym’s Saga. Follow Anathaym, her sister Kara, Mju the Mystic and Kratos the Sorcerer as the Mythras rules are illustrated and explained.

I bought this back when it was runequest 6, anyone know if there's a difference between the 2 other than name?

Robert RFebruary 26, 2017 7:51 pm UTC

PURCHASER

I'm from the US and prefer the imperial measurements (Inch, Yard, Mile, etc...). It's easy to convert meter to yard but kilometer to mile, Centimeter to inche - slows the game. Is there a chance that there will ever be an imperial version? It's just what I know and I don't like converting. I have the Action system Wild West genre book and it uses metrics.. However, when you're in Dodge City Kansas and you say "The bandits have a 4 Kilometer lead on us" it just doesn't work for me - I have to convert. Once again it's just what I am familiar with NO OTHER REASON. I don't like to convert. I have always loved Runequest and d100. Magic World (BRP) uses imperial measures but it's NOT Runequest.

I have RQ6 and soon to buy Mythras.

I just don't like converting.

Peace.

Lawrence WMarch 09, 2017 12:30 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Hi Robert,

It's highly unlikely that we'll publish a version of the core rules that's purely in US Imperial or has extensive conversion notes - although Classic Fantasy does contain such, reflecting the Imperial units of old school games.

Robert RMarch 10, 2017 8:09 am UTC

PURCHASER

Hi Lawrence
US imperial measurements (inches, yards, miles ...) are "old school"? I can understand not converting or adding conversion notes because metric is what you know. Makes sense, but "old school"? You certainly (I expect inadvertently)know how to alienate a customer and make them laugh at the same time! Anyway, thanks for the reply. Nice job on Mythras. I bought a copy.

Lawrence WMarch 15, 2017 5:14 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Hi Robert - you've misunderstood me. I wasn't meaning that Imperial measurements are Old School, but the feel of Old School games from the 80s. FWIW, I was brought up with both metric and imperial and still personally think in inches, feet, yards and miles.

Robert RMarch 15, 2017 11:06 pm UTC

PURCHASER

No Worries. I misunderstood. Thanks for the kind reply. I did purchase Classic Fantasy.. CF does fill some gaps for me and it is well done. I will play Mythras as well. Happy gaming.

September 20, 2016 6:33 pm UTC

PURCHASER

What is the difference between the two pdf files? Which one is most recent?

Lawrence WSeptember 24, 2016 10:50 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

TDM110_Mythras_Interactive_Revision_2.pdf is the most recent. It contains errata and higher resolution covers.

James LJanuary 25, 2017 11:50 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Lawrence, why not remove the older version then to help avoid confusion? I downloaded both, but I'm glad to know the difference. Which makes me ponder, if the printed versions are Rev.2 or the original? I'm asking because I like to buy hard copy as well as PDF and it's on my list to do. :)

James LJanuary 26, 2017 10:30 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Didn't reply to my previous question yet Lawerence. Also the other day I tried emailing you all via your website and also haven't gotten a reply. I emailed to ask if the "printed" versions were up to date with the Sept 2016 revision 2. I'm asking because there is a large difference in the sizes of the original file above and the revision2. Revision 2 is over 91k versus the original which is almost 37k. Is most of that just the art?

I really like to hardcopies of books, I use the PDF's as backups and to custom make stuff like GM Screens from the various charts. My question is can we buy the September 2016 revision 2 in hardcopy? Or are the hard copies still all revision one?

p.s: Rodney L, maybe you know this stuff? I notice that you're really fast to respond which is awesome btw.

James LFebruary 03, 2017 11:06 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Ah well, so much for the communication. Seems that dried up. I'd tried the email as I mentioned, you sort of answered my question in email but then didn't answer my question about an errata. Would be nice if Design Mechanism offered an errata pdf for those who buy the hard copy so that they can update the printed version with the new Revision2 version.

Seriously, good customer communication is a must. When I don't get it I know I personally tend to just shrug and walk away after a bit. I always loved Runequest btw, played 1st, 2nd and 3rd edition back in the late 70's and early 80s. My issue with it was always that it took a lot of work to make it work for a world other than Glorantha. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Stafford's game world but it wasn't quite what I wanted to run myself.

So by the mid 80's when GURPS came out I jumped on that and it was my system for the next 15 years until I decided to take a break from tabletop rpg gaming. Now that I've returned I'm not real...See more happy with the current edition of GURPS and was looking at other skill based game mechanics systems. I recalled Runequest and when I found out what I'd missed I decided to give it a shot.

So far from the PDF that I snagged and the Fantasy stuff that Rodney L did, I am impressed. What doesn't impress me is that simple questions aren't getting answered. I take that as not a good sign.

Lawrence WMarch 04, 2017 9:43 am UTC

PUBLISHER

Hi James,

I'm sorry you feel we don't communicate. And I'm sorry I missed your February comments on this discussion thread, I must admit that the DTRPG review discussions are in infrequent point of call for me mainly because our chief sources of communication tend to be our own forum, BRP Central, our G+ page, and Facebook. It's quite difficult keeping track of so many fora, plus all the emails we get to individual emails and our group mailbox. I'm sincerely sorry that I haven't replied sooner here.

On the point size, I'm quite willing to accept that some people may struggle with 9pt text, but as a publisher we have to consider the overall product not just in terms of the point size, but also the page count as a physical product, which translates to weight (for printing and shipping costs) and of course what people are prepared to accept in terms of overall page count. When we first released RQ6 we had a lot of criticism about it being 456 pages, and a fair few about the white space....See more Mythras was a chance to address that, reduce the production costs, and create a more polished product. There's always I trade-off, and I wish we could please everyone in every way, while still creating a book that's as cheap as possible to print, ship, and become profitable.

On the errata, we do have an errata list over at our forum, and we will, once we have time, release a full document for download. Since Mythras' release though, we've concentrated on producing supporting material, and as a small operation, there simply haven't been enough hours in the day to complete everything all our customers might wish of us. It will happen though.

Astro Val KSeptember 14, 2016 6:40 pm UTC

Is the artwork different compared to Runequest 6?

(Aside from the cover which looks the same, I mean)

Lawrence WSeptember 15, 2016 6:02 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

In some places, yes. There is some entirely new art to replace pieces we weren't too happy with, but otherwise the art is the same. There's actually a little more art in Mythras.

Astro Val KSeptember 16, 2016 12:29 pm UTC

Thank you that was pretty helpful.

I'll be frank:
I think I lean towards Mythras then.

(Although the chance to happen upon a copy of Runequest 6 in stores is pretty slim by now)

Michael SSeptember 20, 2016 6:32 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Mythras, when it comes out in print, will also be less expensive than RQ6 was, since it has a lower page count. It has all the same content though (aside from Runequest IP), plus some new combat effects and improved Animism rules.

Astro Val KSeptember 22, 2016 1:52 pm UTC

Thats very good to hear.

So runequest 6 had Glorantha pages as well? I was under the impression it used your own setting. Or maybe its just names and spells and professions you refer to?

I am definitely getting into this. For now we are going to start with the Imperative Rules. See how my group responds to d100

:)

Lawrence WSeptember 24, 2016 10:51 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

No, it didn't really have Gloranthan content. We referenced the runes Glorantha uses, but that's really as far as it went. Mythras actually has more rules content, in a lower page count, than RQ6 did.

Astro Val KSeptember 28, 2016 5:07 am UTC

I really hope, among all the d100 variants, that this becomes the new go to system for people.

Lawrence WSeptember 03, 2016 12:09 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

A wonderful discussion of both Mythras and Classic Fantasy

http://ubiquitousrat.net/?p=3559

Scott NAugust 23, 2016 3:59 pm UTC

I would like a Hardback of Mythras though, missed out on the RQ6 ones.

Scott NAugust 23, 2016 3:58 pm UTC

I have RQ6 pdf, got it as a bundle when I bought it through Knoble Knight brand new through their Brick N' Mortar PDF program, I have no way to get updates through that system.

Jim LAugust 23, 2016 3:42 pm UTC

Any chance of a print version coming out?

Lawrence WAugust 23, 2016 5:00 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Yes, it's being printed right now, but won't be a POD through here though.

Jim LAugust 24, 2016 3:21 am UTC

Thanks Lawrence. Where will it be sold via? DM's website?

Lawrence WAugust 24, 2016 3:17 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Yes, and FLGSs. We also have a UK print partner called Aeon Games Publishing if you're in the UK or Europe.

Jim LAugust 26, 2016 1:14 am UTC

Is it possible to get a discounted PDF and POD bundle, and if so, how?

Rodney LAugust 30, 2016 7:01 pm UTC

Hi Jim, If the print version is ordered through TDM's website, the PDF is included as well for free.

Jim LSeptember 01, 2016 4:19 pm UTC

Cool thanks!

Douglas NAugust 23, 2016 2:40 pm UTC

PURCHASER

What is the difference between the interactive version and the non interactive version of the pdfs? Have both, I can't spot the difference at a cursory glance.

Lawrence WAugust 23, 2016 4:59 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Interactive distinguishes it from the print PDF that we send to our printer. No hyperlinks or bookmarks in the latter...

Tim OAugust 23, 2016 5:10 am UTC

I noticed in Mythras Imperative that Astrogation, Computers and a few other more modern/futuristic skills were added. Does Mythras expand on the idea of using the system for scifi or was that just for Imperative?

James TAugust 23, 2016 6:26 am UTC

I think those skills are in there as tasters for the supplements, the high-tec skills come from Luther Arkwright (so far). Mythras core sticks to a fantasy setting, so the skills don't go beyond a medieval/Renaissance level of technology.

Rory HAugust 23, 2016 7:30 am UTC

No, they aren't. The skill list is, I think, pretty much identical to the RQ6 list and is clearly focussed on historical fantasy/ancient world settings.

The Luther Arkwright setting/supplement book is indeed the place for all the modern applications of the game, although there are free supplements (including the Mythras Imperative quick play) that detail firearms etc.

James TAugust 23, 2016 8:22 am UTC

If you're interested there's also a SF standalone game using Mythras due out fairly soon, M-Space,
http://designmechanism.freeforums.org/m-space-new-mythras-gateway-supplement-t1608-10.html#p17309
http://designmechanism.freeforums.org/m-space-table-of-contents-t1661.html

Corwyn CAugust 23, 2016 1:38 am UTC

That's weird. I used to have RQ6 in my DriveThruRPG library but now it's not even showing up on the DriveThruRPG store at all. I didn't get an email for Mythras but it occurs to me I may have purchased RQ6 in the full RuneQuest 6 Bundle Of Holding a year and a half ago and that purchase likely doesn't count for the free upgrade. Hopefully I can find my original copy of RQ6 on one of my backup drives.

Rory HAugust 23, 2016 7:36 am UTC

The Design Mechanism won't be able to publicly list RuneQuest 6 anymore as they don't have the rights. However, check your library carefully, including the archive files and it should still be in there. Mine is, so they've not deleted it. If you still can't locate it, check with a drivethrurpg staffer to help.

August 25, 2016 12:52 pm UTC

Not on website but still in my library.

August 22, 2016 8:48 pm UTC

How does this compare to RuneQuest 6th Edition? Is it worth purchasing? I have RQ6. I have many versions of RuneQuest since the first boxed edition decades ago. Love the system. Can I get a discount code as a RQ6 buyer?

Lawrence WAugust 22, 2016 10:56 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

The system is unchanged, save for some tweaks, a new layout and some new Combat Special Effects. If you've bought the PDF from here, you should have received an email from us giving you a discount on the file. There were some problems with it it, but they should be resolved. If you haven't received anything, please send me an email at designmechanism@gmail.com, along with your RQ6 order number, so we can send you the code.

Mattia NAugust 22, 2016 5:25 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Well thanks for The discount code for RQ6 buyer, but IT didn't work

Lawrence WAugust 22, 2016 6:25 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Can you let me know what went wrong? I can see if we can get it fixed for you.

Mark RAugust 22, 2016 6:42 pm UTC

PURCHASER

I just tried to use the discount link in my email and got this message "INVALID DISCOUNT MAX USES: THE SPECIAL DISCOUNT YOU ARE TRYING TO USE HAS ALREADY BEEN REDEEMED THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF TIMES ALLOWED"

Bo KAugust 22, 2016 6:54 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Fix it please. Can't wait!!! :)

Mattia NAugust 22, 2016 6:59 pm UTC

PURCHASER

I just tried to use the discount link in my email and got this message "INVALID DISCOUNT MAX USES: THE SPECIAL DISCOUNT YOU ARE TRYING TO USE HAS ALREADY BEEN REDEEMED THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF TIMES ALLOWED"

Lawrence WAugust 22, 2016 10:54 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

The discount code problem is now fixed. Do check your email.

Thomas WAugust 27, 2016 12:51 am UTC

PURCHASER

It still isn't working for me even though it says valid until 2017. the link shows invalid.

I've always liked BRP mechanics and this appears to be the ultimate evolution of it, so far, and can't wait to try it out. It takes the good from Rune Quest expands on it and makes it better. It's my understanding that this is RQ 6(?) with a new name [...]

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